Fluid measuring mechanism



Feb. Z, 1932. 1 w, LEDQUX 1,843,330

' FLUID MEASURING MEcHANIsM Filed Dec. 3, 1924 'Patented Feb. 2, 1932 Y' PATENT oFFicE f i i Leninv roi-1N w: LEDoUx, or,swnn'riilvioanrnnnstnvnmn; Assrenot, BY MEsNE AssIGNJ MENTS,

To' sMrLExv vvanuita METER CQMPANY, or PnrLAnnLrrrIa'rnNNsYL.- fvANIaAconronArIoNjoF DELAWARE v Y Y .FLUID MnAfsUnING MEcHANrsM v appneanoniied'neembewa 1924;k serial No. 753,551;

.My .invention contemplatesfmetering a iow .of liquidzthrough an.openachannel..by`

varyingsthe position ofA thenieter mecha-A nism in accordance with. the. depth of water.

s in said channel;`

' mersed inthe mercury 6,.and connected ybyastem, 8, with a shaped float .9, of variable crossV fluid.- supplied to'V the casing 4, from" thefchannel The characteristic; features of ments will more. fullyappearfrom the fol-7 lowing description rand the Lccompanying `drawings inillustration thereof." f

ings, an open channel or flume. comprisingVK a bottom 1, and parallel -ewlalls 2,:,communif ing` 4, in which isxiixed Lareservoir 5,*open at 'the topand containinga column of heavy liquid, as mercury 6, of uniform crossfsecf tionqv Y l A float `7 of uniform V,cross .sectionns 4.1m-

section. adapted to be 4 immersed Ain .the

through the .conduit 3; the surface'.A of the fluid in the casing 4 beingat the level vof and varying withlthe level1 of thee-fluid in the.

' channel. Y

.'.The float J9 has connected therewith rod 10. to which is secured a: tension'.l .member 11 passing voveri the periphery of .a journalled sheave 12` and having on its `other end a counterweight-13. A smaller sheave 14 fixed'to the sheave 12 has xed th'eretoa tension mernf ber 15 which. passes yover al sheave- 16; k to the` journalled shaft 17, .a counterweight is being fixed to the member 16. 1

A'pointer 19 is connected with the shaftvv 17 and is movable thereby over thedialf201uniformly graduated .to indicate. the rate of flow in gallons per hour or any desired units.

`A sheave 21 is fixed to and operated by the shaft 17 to operate al tension member 22.V

having on one enda counterweiglit 23 and on the other end a recording marker 24 and in kthe drawings, Y Fig. -i is may' da.; grammatic vertical sectional e view.- of Lapparatus illustrating anembodiment kof my .1n-V

cates through a conduit 3, ywithanopen cas-V registerand a recorder, asabovedescribed.

a register 25.` The recording marker makes constant' contactwith a chart261ixed to .and rotated at a constant rate -byfa constantly rotating cylinder 27 ate the register mechanism.

"I have foundth t the'flowv of 'liquid in a flume' or open vchannel'fhaving its' bottom and ksides plane surfaces 'and constant down;

stream conditions from thepoint of measurement will increase as the depth of liquid increases" and always bear a constant ratio to a constant exponent of said depth, i. e. to d, at the. point .of lmeasurement.4 A'.il/Vhen there is no flow in the channel, it is emptyand the fioat-7 fallstOits position of maximum submergence in the mercury .6, due tothe negativebuoyance, or `weight,of the float 9, with its:

connected mechanism. When the 'liquid 'flow'- inthe channel begins or increases, the surfacelevel ofliquid inthe casing'4, rises,.thereby .buoyingup ioat 9,2and lifting same. "fThe force 'of saidlift is counteracted by the negal tive buoyancy of the float/7, the float 9. being.' so shaped that its rise will be in ldirect ratio to constant exponent kof the depth, i. e. d

and therefore in direct ratioto theflow of liquid thryouglisaid channel. The iioat 9 and; the buoyancy float 7 are connectedtogether and f transmitvl their .movement tor theV sheave 12which operates an i-ndicatona totalizing :In-Fig. Y3, I have shown a channel-having v*its .bottom and sidesplane surfaces, the channel being of variableeross-section and containing aVenturi throat. A tube .3 connects the center ofthe throatwith a reservoir 4 and the surfacelevel of 'fluid therein is varied l by variations in the depth .of liquid flowing in the channel ,3 .to operate metering` mechanism as above described. v/Vhilel 1 fhaveshown channels :of rectangular cross section, -my invention isi not -limited to thisfas'my improvements are applicable lto afehan'nelor 'flume'of triangular,trapezoidal, semicircularor parabolic crossvsectionp! I'haveacoompli'slied is the invention 1 of a meter mechanism that will measure the flow through an open channel by utilizing only the depth of fluid in said channel. It Will be understood that when the meter is connected with the channel at a particular place no changes can be permitted in conditions affecting flow downstream from the point `of connection of the metering mechaf nism after it has been calibrated or put in function, and the variations in flow must result from supplying the channel with more or less water upstream from the metering mechanism.

While I have shown float 9 shaped and float 7 cylindrical, which is the preferred form, the same results may be accomplished by making the float 9 cylindrical and the float 7 shaped.

'I he formula for flow which I have devised to be used with my metering mechanism is Q=c CZ in which, y

Q=the unit of flow of liquid per unit of time.

cl=the depth of liquid in said channel.

c=a ligure that will remain constant for any particular shape of channel or location of the meter register.

a=an exponental figure that will remain constant for any particular shape of channel or location of the meter register.

lIt must be understood, however, that both.

.` varying depths for any particular size or shape of channel, be it rectangular, triangu` lar, trapezoidal or curved. the shaped float required for a particular channel may be readily determined by ascertaining the liow for two depths, from which the coellicient and exponent can be calculated and used for all depths.

By an open channel I mean a channel wherein flow is not restricted by contact with vwalls completely surrounding the fluid, re-

gardless of whether the channel be covered or uncovered.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. The combination with a channel, Vof metering mechanism comprising a compound float having one portion thereof of constant cross-section and another portion of variable crosssection so shaped that its movement will be in direct ratio to a constant exponent 'i of the depth, said float being' movable a distance having a direct ratio to the flow of said liquid by variations in the depth of a vertically unobstructed liquid flowing in said channel.

2. The combination with means forming a channel providing constant downstream conditions from a point of measurement of a vertically unobstructed stream flowing through said channel, of means comprising a float variably submerged with variations in The contour of the depth of flow in such channel for measuring flow therethrough.

3. The combination with means forming a channel having its bottom and sides plane surfaces and providing constant downstream Conditions from a point of measurement of a vertically unobstructed stream flowing through said channel, of means comprising a float variably submerged by variations in the depth of flow in such channel and having a shape giving thereto a movement in direct ratio to a constant exponent of the depth of the stream in said channel, and measuring Vmechanism actuated by the movement of said float.

4f. Mechanism for the measurement of a stream having a flow variable in direct ratio to av constant exponential function of its depth, which comprises a channel maintaining constant vertically unobstructed downstream conditions for said stream from a point of measurement,means comprising a variably submerged member operable by variations in the depth of said stream for metering its flow, and means actuable to variably submerge said member.

5. Mechanism for the measurement of a stream having a flow variable in direct ratio to a constant exponential function of its depth, which comprises a channel maintaining constant vertically unobstructed downstream conditions for. said stream from a point of measurement, means comprising a variably submerged member operable by variations in the depth of said stream above the point of measurement for metering its flow, and means actuable to variably sub merge said member.

6. Metering mechanism comprising an open channel, a casing communicating with said channel and containing liquid variable in volume with variations in flow in said channel, said casing being so positioned that the level of liquid therein will vary 1n proportion to the depth of liquid in the channel, a reservoir in said casing containing a liquid of different density from the liquid in said channel, connected floats one of which is immersed in the liquid in the casing and the other of which is immersed in the liquid in the reservoir, one of saidfloats being shaped so as to move in direct ratio with variations in the depth of a, vertically unobstructed stream of liquid flowing in said channel, and mechanism operable by said floats to directly indicate the flow in said channel.

Signed at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, this first day of December, 1924.

Y A J. W. LEDOUX. 

